Welcoming 18 New Starters as Our Team Grows Beyond 50

We’re excited to share a major milestone here at Chadwick Lawrence as we’ve welcomed 18 new colleagues to our team, bringing our total headcount to 252.

Our new starters span our offices in Leeds, Wakefield, Huddersfield, Bradford, and Horbury, and reflects our ongoing commitment to investing in people, talent, and the future of legal services. This includes those who take a less traditional route into the profession.

Meet the New Starters

Our new starters span a wide range of roles across our departments, strengthening teams from Real Estate and Employment to Litigation, Probate, and beyond. Join us in welcoming:

• Ailie McGrath, Secretary, Litigation, Resolution and Recovery
• Aimee Dixon, Trainee Conveyancing Assistant, Real Estate
• Amy Clarey, Paralegal, Probate
• Bode Bakare, Team Principal, Commercial Recoveries, Acclaim
• Hollie Burtoft, Paralegal, Social Housing Litigation
• James Lockwood, Paralegal, Employment
• Jessica Goodwin, Paralegal, Employment
• Jordan Crowther, Senior Recoveries Executive, Commercial Recoveries, Acclaim
• Kate Knowd, Receptionist, Admin
• Kathy O’Hare, Conveyancing Assistant, Real Estate
• Lucy Royles, Solicitor, Employment
• Meghan Bedford, Solicitor, Clinical Negligence
• Mohammad Qasim, New Business Assistant, Real Estate
• Sophie Lister Moor, Solicitor, Corporate and Commercial
• Tia Nelson, Trainee Conveyancing Assistant, Real Estate
• Zahira Mahmood, Assistant, Conveyancing, Real Estate

Growing with Diverse Experience

Among our new joiners is Trent Van Sittert, who brings a unique perspective to our Dispute Resolution team. Trent began his career in construction in South Africa before retraining in law and now applies his combined knowledge of the building site and the courtroom to help resolve complex construction disputes. His role will see him working on everything from legal research to drafting and preparing court documents.

We’re also thrilled to welcome Ben Preece to our IT team in Wakefield. Ben is joining as a Junior IT Support Analyst through a Level 3 apprenticeship in IT support and cloud services – a path he started after impressing us during work experience. He’ll be working alongside our six-strong IT department, helping with frontline support while continuing his training in areas like networking and cloud tech. Ben’s journey is a great example of how we’re embracing apprenticeships to bring fresh ideas and energy into the business.

Looking Ahead

Our Managing Partner, Neil Wilson, reflects on the firm’s growth: “Reaching a 252-strong headcount is a landmark moment for Chadwick Lawrence. Each of these 18 appointments strengthens our collective expertise, whether that’s supporting clients in the courtroom, advising on complex transactions, or ensuring our systems run smoothly behind the scenes.

We’re proud to nurture talent at every level, from apprenticeships through to senior lawyers, and continue building a firm that’s fit for the future.”

We’re proud to be growing not just in size, but in depth and diversity of experience. With eight offices across West Yorkshire and a turnover of £16.67 million in the year ending March 2025 (a 35% increase on the previous year), we’re continuing to evolve and expand while staying true to our core values: supportive, professional legal advice delivered with care and clarity.

Interested in joining our team?

Explore opportunities and learn more about life at Chadwick Lawrence at www.chadwicklawrence.co.uk